Department of Bioengineering, College of Engineering, Hanyang University, 17 Haengdang 1-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 133-791, Korea
Biomed Mater. 2013 Feb;8(1):014102. doi: 10.1088/1748-6041/8/1/014102.
The ultimate goal of tissue engineering is to replace damaged tissues by applying engineering technology and the principles of life sciences. To successfully engineer a desirable tissue, three main elements of cells, scaffolds and growth factors need to be harmonized. Biomaterial-based scaffolds serve as a critical platform both to support cell adhesion and to deliver growth factors. Various methods of fabricating scaffolds have been investigated. One recently developed method that is growing in popularity is called electrospinning. Electrospinning is known for its capacity to make fibrous and porous structures that are similar to natural extracellular matrix (ECM). Other advantages to electrospinning include its ability to create relatively large surface to volume ratios, its ability to control fiber size from micro- to nano-scales and its versatility in material choice. Although early work with electrospun fibers has shown promise in the regeneration of certain types of tissues, further modification of their chemical, biological and mechanical properties would permit future advancements. In this paper, current approaches to the development of modular electrospun fibers as scaffolds for tissue engineering are discussed. Their chemical and physical characteristics can be tuned for the regeneration of specific target tissues by co-spinning of multiple materials and by post-modification of the surface of electrospun fibers. In addition, topology or structure can also be controlled to elicit specific responses from cells and tissues. The selection of proper polymers, suitable surface modification techniques and the control of the dimension and arrangement of the fibrous structure of electrospun fibers can offer versatility and tissue specificity, and therefore provide a blueprint for specific tissue engineering applications.
组织工程的最终目标是通过应用工程技术和生命科学原理来替代受损组织。为了成功地设计出理想的组织，需要协调细胞、支架和生长因子这三个主要元素。基于生物材料的支架作为一个关键的平台，既能支持细胞黏附，又能传递生长因子。已经研究了各种制造支架的方法。一种最近越来越流行的方法叫做静电纺丝。静电纺丝以其能够制造类似于天然细胞外基质 (ECM) 的纤维状和多孔结构而闻名。静电纺丝的其他优点包括能够创造相对较大的表面积与体积比、能够控制纤维尺寸从微米到纳米尺度以及在材料选择方面的多功能性。尽管早期使用静电纺丝纤维在某些类型组织的再生方面显示出了希望，但进一步修改其化学、生物和机械性能将允许未来的进展。本文讨论了当前开发模块化静电纺丝纤维作为组织工程支架的方法。通过共纺多种材料和对静电纺丝纤维表面进行后修饰，可以调整其化学和物理特性，以再生特定的靶组织。此外，拓扑结构或结构也可以控制，以引起细胞和组织的特定反应。选择合适的聚合物、合适的表面修饰技术以及控制静电纺丝纤维的尺寸和纤维结构的排列，可以提供多功能性和组织特异性，从而为特定的组织工程应用提供蓝图。
